


Play Ball

by livinthefandomlife



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Basketball AU, Competition, F/M, Family, Future Fic, Happy Ending, Kid Fic AU, Light Angst, Light Smut, Mom Tessa, Single Parents, asshole ex's, coach Scott AU, dad scott, happiness, happy Scott, happy Tessa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 08:26:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14996819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livinthefandomlife/pseuds/livinthefandomlife
Summary: "The other team was good. Like really good. It threw Luke off his game. Luke's games always ended with his team being at least 10 points ahead, and this team was giving Luke a run for his money. They were tied 16 to 16, and he could tell that Luke was angry. Luke Moir didn't lose. It was all because of this one kid on the other team that could actually keep up with Luke, Number 7 on the other team. He was at least 2 inches taller than Luke, but he was just as good. Scott watched his son's face fall everytime they got a point. God, Scott thought, this must be what parents on the other side always feel like."......Basketball/ Step-siblings AU staring Virtue and Moir





	1. Chapter 1

"Lucas Patrick Moir," Scott said loudly in the middle of his apartment, "if you're not out here in 20 seconds I'm leaving without you, and you won't play in today's game."

Scott heard a loud crash from his son's bedroom and inwardly cringed.

"Coming! I'm coming," his son ran down the hallway of the apartment to the doorway, wearing his blue jersey, "I'm here."

"Ok, kid. You have everything? Water?"

"I'm all set, Dad. Now let's goooooooo," his son said pushing him out the door. 

Luke ran down the hallway of the building, banging on the walls and jumping in the air. 

"Hey, bud, no we don't do that. Don't be so loud," Scott said gently to his son, that obviously wasn't paying attention to him in the slightest. 

Luke looked just like his father when he was the same age; dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wasn't the tallest eight-year-old, but what he lacked in height he made up in energy. 

The father and son duo walked to Scott's small black car. Luke tried to get in the front seat, but Scott gave him a stern look and told him to hop in back. As much as Scott would have loved for his son to have sat up front with him, Luke's safety came first. 

Scott's car, as he was a full-time coach, was always stuffed with sports equipment. Scott coached a hockey team during the week, and he was quite good. He coached the London Knights after his longtime friend, Dale Hunter, had retired. Scott had retired from hockey after playing a couple years as Number 14 for Toronto Maple Leafs. He had loved it, he loved the game more than he loved air. But after his girlfriend got pregnant with Luke, he knew he wanted to be around more and have a quieter lifestyle. He knew he wanted to move back home and raise Luke around his brother's kids. 

Luke was in every sport imaginable, he was a natural. Scott got him his first pair of skates at the age of two, but it was Luke's choice of whether or not he wanted to learn, Scott never pressured him. But the second Luke's blades hit the ice, he was off. He masted skating at a young age, and then said he wanted to win a gold medal in every sport possible, he wanted to be the best. Scott knew the feeling well, the feeling of wanting to be the Greatest of all Time. So Scott helped his son, and he signed him up in every game Luke was drawn to. 

But there was something about basketball. There was something about the way that Luke's face lit up when he had a ball in his hand. He was in his element, it was the same look Scott had on his face every time he took the ice. Of course, Scott had been a little disappointed when Luke wasn't in love with hockey the way he was. Luke was good at skating, the best at Ilderton's Skating Club, but Luke didn't want to be the next Wayne Gretzky like his father, he wanted basketball. 

Luke took a basketball from Scott's pile of equipment in the backseat and began turning the ball in his small hands. 

"You excited for tonight's game, buddy," Scott asked, looking at his son through the rearview window. 

"What?" Luke asked, too caught up in the black lines on the orange ball. 

"Are you excited to play tonight, Luke?" 

"Oh, yeah, for sure," a smile spread across his son's face, "the other team is going down!"

Scott paused. He understood his son's need to always win, he felt it himself, but he didn't want it to be all his son cared about. 

"That's good, kid. But remember you want to win. But it's important to always-"

"Stay in the present, enjoy the game," Luke cut him off and finished their saying. 

"You got it, Luke. Enjoy the game itself, and the rest will follow."

"I know, Dad. But I'm still excited to crush the other kids!"

Scott smiled to himself. He would keep enforcing good messages onto his son, even if it went way over his head. 

They pulled up to their usual parking spot at the community sports center, and Luke jumped out of the car and ran inside the building. 

God, Scott thought, for a kid that's always running late he sure does like to be on time. 

Scott watched his son run down and meet up with his friends. He heard a collective "Luke!" from all the boys and smiled. 

The boys all piled into the gym and grabbed a basketball to warm up. When it was a home game, they had a mandatory practice for 15 minutes before a game and then the other team would show up. Scott watched Luke run up to the net, which was lowered for the kids, and to lay-up. Scott smiled as his son put his fist in the air as the ball went into the basket. 

One of the two couches, Jeremy, walked up to where Scott was sitting on the bleachers. 

"You and I both know he's good," said Jeremy, "that kid has some major talent."

"Yeah, he's pretty good, eh. Wish I could take any of the credit for it, but that's all him," Scott smiled. 

"I've never seen a kid that good. I'm serious, Scott. And my kid's on the team."

"Yeah, well. I love sports, but I'll only keep him in if he wants to keep playing. It's all up to him, that's what my parents did for me. And it worked, eh." 

The coach nodded, "He's a good kid overall, your Luke."

Scott chuckled, "Yeah. He's got a bit of a temper, and a little too much energy. But he's a good one."

The two men looked at the team of eight-year-olds. They were laughing and just being kids. Scott smiled. Whether Luke wanted to be Wayne Gretzky or not, he was still happy his son was happy. 

.....

The other team was good. Like really good. It threw Luke off his game. Luke's games always ended with his team being at least 10 points ahead, and this team was giving Luke a run for his money. They were tied 16 to 16, and he could tell that Luke was angry. It was all because of this one kid on the other team that could actually keep up with Luke, Number 7 on the other team. He was at least 2 inches taller than Luke, but he was just as good. Scott watched his son's face fall everytime they got a point. God, Scott thought, this must be what parents on the other side always feel like. 

Luke pulled his son aside during half-time. 

"Hey, bud it doesn't matter what the score is at the end of the game. You just keep giving it your all, okay?"

His son took a drink of his water before responding, "I hate him, Dad. I actually hate him."

"Lucas, focus on the present-"

"I wanna win."

"Okay, just remember that I'm just as proud of you either way."

Scott watched his son walk back to his teammates. Luke was the obvious captain of the team, and right now his son was giving them a better pep talk then the coach. 

Scott looked over to the other side of the court to where that stupid kid that was going to give Luke an aneurysm was sitting. Number 7 looked completely calm. He watched Number 7 talk to his mom. Holy Shit, Scott thought, Number 7's mom is hot. 

The game restarted and he watched his son put his game face on. 

....

In the end, they tie. The game is the longest Scott's ever been to for a basketball game played by eight-year-olds. The score is 30 to 30, and Luke looks heartbroken and furious when the final buzzer rings. He wanted to win, and Scott knew that. Luke looked over in Scott's direction, begging his father for silent words of advice. Scott nods his head and smiles, trying to say that he's proud. The nod clearly doesn't help because Luke still looks like he could kill someone. 

The two teams line up to shake hands, and Scott says a silent prayer that Luke won't be a total jerk. Scott guesses that Luke heard his thoughts because Luke shakes every one of the other team's hands like a total gentleman. Scott has never been prouder of him. 

Luke walks back over to Scott, and he can tell how hard that was on his kid. Scott begins to pack up his stuff, he was nervously drawing out plays for the Knights during the game. Luke stands awkwardly, adjusting his backpack straps nervously. 

"Hey buddy, remember what we talked about. Present. Enjoy," Scott says, hoping that this wasn't the last game of basketball his son ever plays. 

"I know," Luke says barely above a whisper, "I know."

Scott zips up his black bag and turns around to look at his very upset son. Scott takes a knee in front of his son, making the two of them almost the same height.

"I'm really proud of you," Scott said. 

Luke nods, and Scott pulls him in for a quick hug. They pull apart and Scott ruffles Luke's messy dark brown hair. 

Scott hears a voice from behind him, "Sorry, excuse me? Are you Luke?"

Scott gets up off the ground and turns around, he sees Number 7 and his attractive mother. 

Luke nods, "Yeah."

The mom gave Number 7 a knowing look. 

"I'm Max. I wanted to say that I had fun playing against you tonight, and that... and that I think you're a really good player," Number 7 stumbles out. 

Scott looks down at his son. 

"I wish I won," is all Luke says back, and Scott is mortified. 

"Luke-" Scott starts.

He's cut off by a burst of laughter from Max's mom. 

"I'm sorry. Luke. Jesus Christ," Scott covers his face with his hand. 

"It's okay," Max's mom says in between giggles, "at least he's honest."

Max looks up to him, and suddenly the little boy's eyes good wide. 

"You're Scott Moir. You played for the Maple Leafs. You coach the Knights!" the little boy said excitedly. 

"Yep, that's me," Scott smiled, "Do you play?"

"No, I was never very good at hockey. But I love ice skating with my mom," Max responds. 

Scott feels Luke straighten up with pride by his side. 

"I love hockey," Luke says, "I'm really good."

"Lucas," Scott says.

Max's mom looked down at Luke, "And if your hockey skills are even a hair like your basketball ones, I bet you are incredible."

Luke beams at the comment.

"Hey sorry this seems a little weird, but where are you two from? I thought I had met all the kids in the league."

"Oh me and Max just moved down here from Montreal. I wanted to closer to family," Max's mother answered.

"Mom, I'm tired. I wanna go home," Max said.

Max's mother looked over at Scott. 

"Yeah, we should get going too," Scott said. 

"Wait! We should probably exchange numbers first," Max's mom said nervously, taking out her phone.

Scott smirked and took her phone from her hand, he noted that there was not a ring on either finger. He quickly typed in his number. 

"We never did catch your name," Scott said. 

Max's mom blushed, "Oh, yeah, um, that's kinda important. I'm Tessa. Tessa Virtue."

"And I'm Maximus James Virtue. Max for short." Max said proudly.

Tessa smiled at her son and ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair.

"It was very nice to meet you, Max. You too, Tessa," Scott smiled.

"It was very nice to meet you too, Luke. I hope we can talk soon, Scott," Tessa said. 

"The ball is in your court, Ms. Virtue."

Tessa laughed again, and it was a sound Scott never wanted to let go of. 

"Get it, because we're in a basketball court," Scott smiled. 

"Yeah, I got it, Scott. Talk to you soon. Bye, Luke," Tessa said as she and Max walked away. 

"Bye," Luke said quietly. 

"Bye, Tessa," Scott smiled. 

......

The next morning Luke walked around the living room putting things into his backpack for school. Scott stood in the kitchen making breakfast for his son and himself. Luke furrowed his brow in search of his stuff. 

"You can finish that later, bud. Come and eat," Scott called. 

The two of them sat at the small table in the middle of Scott's apartment eating. 

"You like her," Luke blurted out. 

"Who?" Scott asked. 

"Max's mom."

"Yeah, she was very nice."

"No, Dad. You like her," he said stressing like, "Like the way Tommy likes Emily."

Scott had no idea who Tommy or Emily were. 

"Yeah, maybe. We'll see, buddy."

"Okay. I maybe can like her too."

"That's really good to hear, Lucas."

"As long as you know that I will always hate Max," Luke said casually.

Scott opened his mouth to respond, but just then his phone buzzed. 

Hey, Scott. It's Tessa :) the message read.


	2. Chapter 2

9 years prior...

 

"You're leaving?" Tessa asked the blonde man walking around her apartment. 

"Yeah. I got a job offer in New York, the job is mine if I want it. My flight is in 2 hours. I'm gonna take stuff for the next three weeks, then have my parents ship the rest down," said the man. 

"New York? Jake, I don't understand."

"Tessa, baby, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I would write for the New York Times!" Jake said walking over to her, cupping her face. 

"But your life is here, in Canada. With me," her eyes filled with tears, "I love you."

Jake dropped his hands from her face, "Tessa, you don't mean that," he said and turned around and began filling his suitcase with items again. 

"Yes. I do Jake. I love our life together. I love you. Don't leave me," Tessa said, trying to get his attention.

"I'm 25, Tessa. You're 24. We're young. Too young. We're too young to be talking like this, like we're forever. We had a good run, but my career comes first."

"Too young! We've been together for almost two years, we live together for Christ's sake!" 

"Exactly. I can't marry the girl I met when I was 23. I have so much more to do. You haven't even reached your dreams, Tessa," he said, facing her. 

"I'm pregnant," she says flatly, "I was going to tell you tomorrow night. But now you're leaving me."

Jake paused, his emotions unreadable. 

"How far along are you?" is all he asked. 

"5 weeks."

"There's still time."

"No," she said backing away from him, "no."

"I'm not staying in Canada because you got knocked up. I'll give you some money and we can act like this never happened. I can become an author and change the world with my words, and you can change the world with, God, I don't know. We're too young for this," he said from behind her, "I give you the money."

Tessa still couldn't look at him. She supported a woman's right to choose what to do with her body, but she didn't understand how she could have been so wrong about Jake. She had given him her heart. 

"I'm not having an abortion, Jake."

"I'm not going to be a Dad, Tessa."

Tessa took in a breath, "And you won't be. This child will be mine. And all mine. So when your writing career inevitably fails, because we both know it will, this child and I won't be waiting."

Jake stood, still unreadable. 

"So keep your money, jackass. I'm keeping the baby."

"That doesn't change my mind, Tessa. I'm still going."

Tessa looked at him, tears falling down her face, "I know it doesn't. I'm heartbroken that it doesn't. But I know you're already gone."

Jake looked at his now ex-girlfriend, her makeup smeared down the sides of her cheeks. 

"I hope you have a nice life, Tessa," he said, "I mean that. You'll be a great mom."

"I hope you know that even if you change your mind on the flight there, I won't take you back."

"I know, Tessa," he said picking up his suitcase and walking towards the door. 

He opened the apartment door and walked out. Tessa watched the man she loved walk out of her life forever. 

She slid down the now closed door, her hands shaking as she cried into them.

She sat there for what seemed like forever.

"Just you and me, kid," she whispered rubbing her stomach, "just you and me." 

...........

Max was all she ever wanted, well not really. She wanted the white fence, and the amazing husband, and also Max. But if Max was all the universe was going to give her, she was happy. She and Max where happy. 

She left London when Jake left her. Her family wanted her to stay, but she needed to leave. She took a really good fashion job in Montreal. Her sister, Jordan, had cried when Tessa had told her. Her mother was heartbroken. Her brother's eyes filled with rage, and Tessa swore that she was going to find out that her brothers had flown to New York and killed Jake. Luckily her brothers hadn't, she wanted her child to have uncles. But she had left them, and moved six hours away. She was three months pregnant when she moved. 

She was alone when she had Max. Her family had wanted to be there, they had promised her they would be. But Max was 2 weeks early, and her family hadn't budgeted in that time. The nurses and doctor's eyes were filled with pity when she had told them that no one was coming. She wanted to scream at them that she could do it on her own. She wanted to get on the intercom and tell the whole hospital that she, Tessa Virtue, was going to be just fine. That she and her child were going to be just fine. She didn't, she didn't get angry. She smiled and thanked them all for helping her. 

Her first thought when she looked at her son was how lucky she was. She had cried when they took him away from her, she yelled at them and told the nurses to "give her her damn son". They all rushed out of the room to make sure he was "okay". 

"They're just going to make sure everything is okay with your son, Miss Virtue. They'll bring him back," said the nurse that had stayed in the room with her. 

Tessa cried harder. 

"You're so strong, Miss Virtue, I can feel it," said Georgia, the nurse. 

Tessa cried out a "thank you" in response. 

"He's strong too. You two will be just fine," Georgia said at her side.

And they were. They were just fine. 

....

"You're so beautiful, Tessa," Scott said smiling at her from the other side of their dinner table. 

She blushed and took a sip of her wine. 

"I mean it, Tess. And you're smart. And an amazing mom. And talented. And successful. Like fuck, Tessa, you're wonderful," he smiled a dopey grin at her. 

She stared at him dumbfounded.

"I'm a single mom of an eight-year-old, and I'm having dinner with one of Canada's top bachelors," she responded. 

He laughed. God, she thought, she's in actual heaven. He's an actual Greek God. This man is going to be the death of her. 

She took another drink of her wine, and then said, "So... you and Luke's mother? Do you split time?"

Scott paused and looked down at his dinner, "She left when he was about 4 months. Said she couldn't be a mom. Said Luke was better off without her. We weren't married though, so no messy divorce. She just left. I was 27 and raising a son by myself. I quit playing hockey, I couldn't do it all. Coaching was a happy medium. I moved home from Toronto, and I've been a fulltime Dad ever since."

Tessa's face fell. He understood. He understood the heartbreak that she had been feeling for almost a decade. He understood the betrayal.

"I was five weeks pregnant when Jake left me. Told me a should have an abortion. I understand that it's right for some women, but it wasn't right for me. I wanted to be a parent, and Jake didn't," Tessa said, looking Scott directly in the eye. She had never felt so safe telling someone her story. 

Scott reached across the table and laced their hands together. God, she thought, even his hands are hot. How is that even possible?

"Two broken halves," he whispered. 

She brought their hands to her lips and kissed his knuckles. 

They sat there, in a dimly lit restaurant, holding hands. 

"Do you skate?" Scott asked. 

....

"Scott Moir, if I break a hip, I will hire a hit man and kill you," she said wobbling on the ice. 

"I thought you said you knew how," he chuckled, taking hold of her hands. 

"I said when I was little. That was like 20 years ago," she said, her hands tightening around his. 

They stood in the middle of his rink. His family owned the Ilderton Ice Club, and he had opened it up for the two of them. It was nine o'clock at night, and she was ice skating in her very tight black dress, with a very hot hockey player. She felt like she was dreaming. 

"This was actually where I skated," she said, trying to take her mind off of the fact that she was terrified of falling. 

As if he read her mind, "Don't worry, I won't let you fall," he said, gliding them around the ice. 

"Really? How old were you?" he asked.

"From like 5-8. I gave it up for dance. I swore I would become a ballerina," she giggled. 

Scott pulled her in closer on the ice. 

Her smile widened, "I can't believe I was ever good at this," she whispered. 

"You know I skated here when I was a kid," he whispered back, one his hands reached out and cupped her cheek. Their faces were inches apart. 

"Really? I must have missed you, Mr. Moir."

"Must have," his nose touched hers.

"Must have," she breathed out. 

She wasn't who started the kiss, she just knew it was magical. Her arms wrapped around his neck. He lifts her up off of the ice. 

For some reason, she trusted that he wouldn't drop her. 

......

They held hands over the console of his car. One hand was on the wheel, the other was dancing with her own.

"I have a weird thing," he said looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Okay..." she said hesitantly. 

"It's nothing that's not fixable. But Luke... he really likes you... but..."

"Spit it out, Moir."

"It's about Max."

She took in a sharp breath.

"What about Max?" she asked quietly. 

"He's still mad that Max is just as good as him at basketball."

Tessa began to laugh, and she laughed hard. 

Scott also began to laugh.

"What did he say about it?" she laughed out. 

"He said he thinks I like you, which he was obviously right about," his eyes darted down to their intertwined hands, "but he said 'he will always hate Max'". 

Scott was two shades paler than normal. God, she thought, he's scared this is a deal breaker. I love him.

"Scott," she said slowly, "I'm not worried."

"You're not mad?" he asked genuinely. 

"Scott, when I was eight I stopped being friends with someone because their favorite color was also purple. Kids are dumb"

Scott laughed, and he sounded relieved. 

"I felt like I was lying to you the whole night."

"You are the sweetest man I have ever met. And no, I'm not mad. The boys will get over being competitive. I promise."

Scott pulled up to her house. He got out and walked to the other side of his car to open her door. 

"Is Max home?" he whispered. 

"No, he's at my mom's for the weekend. Where's Luke?"

"My mom's for the weekend," he smirked.

"The weekend, eh. Feeling confident," she smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

"Hopefully I made the right call."

She left him pick her up out of the car, closing the door behind him,

Yep, she thought, you definitely made the right call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Hope you enjoyed this angstier chapter. Chapter 3 is much more light-hearted. I really love fictional Tessa, and I really wanted to tell her story in this chapter. We might be getting some more of their backstories or blasts from the pasts in future chapters, but you'll just have to stay tuned.  
> ;) Lori


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get to know my personal favorite, Luke Moir, a little more.

The boys don't stop being competitive. In fact, it gets much worse. 

They tie every game. And every game Luke looked like he could kill someone. And every game Max looked stoic and calm. 

Over the course of the season, Luke and Max played each other four times. Every game Tessa smiled the whole time. Every game Scott looked like he could throw up. They sit together, holding hands, and they root for both sides.

Luke is pissed every time he sees Max, but Max is always unreadable.

Every time Max scored a point, Luke felt his hatred grow. 

Luke put his heart and soul into every game, and he still can't come out on top, and it drove him crazy. They were the last two teams in the championship, and they had even tied that game. 

Scott and Tessa had been seeing each other for about 6 months, and the boys still haven't been told. Luke could tell that something was different about his Dad. The Knights had been playing better than they ever had since Scott took over as the coach, and Scott seemed happier. Also, Luke had been spending a lot of time with Alma, his Grandmother. 

"Grandma?" he asked one day, sitting in Alma's kitchen, "Do you think that I'll ever play for the Raptors?" 

Alma smiled and looked at her grandson, "I think you can do anything you put your mind to, little one. You just have to keep working hard."

Luke had heard the same words his whole life; from teachers, parents, coaches, anyone.   
"Work hard and you can do anything." Well, he was working hard, and he still couldn't bet Max Virtue. His Dad had told him that the score didn't matter, but that wasn't what he wanted to hear. He wanted his dad to give him advice on how to crush Max. 

Max and Tessa are both invited to his ninth birthday. The party went well, and all of Luke's friends have a good time, and Luke did too. He held hands with Hannah Lewis, and they've decided that they're dating. His best friends Bryan and Mason are both there, and the boys played field hockey in the living room. Scott and Luke's apartment was filled to brim with people and laughter. Scott warned Bryan and Mason to not break anything, and Tessa told them to keep having fun. 

Max made friends with Noah, Luke's friend from French class. Luke was glad that Max made a friend so his Dad get mad at him for avoiding him like the plague. 

The thing that really boiled his blood, more than tying with Max, was his Dad ruffling Max's hair. 

He knew that his father hadn't meant for him to see it, but he had. Scott and Tessa were talking in a hallway, and Max had walked up to the pair. Luke was surrounded by friends, very loving friends, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw them. Scott had an arm around Tessa's waist, and they were all smiling. Luke couldn't hear what they were saying, but he knew they were happy. He watched Max say something and Scott laughed. He watched his father do something that up until then had been reserved for him, he ran a hand through his blonde hair. Luke stiffened, he was heartbroken and angry. 

"Luke," asked Mason, who was sitting next to him on the couch, "you okay?"

Luke looked at his best friend, "Yeah, yep. All good in Luketown."

Mason laughed, "Okay, just checking. You seemed weird."

"Yep," Luke said, looking back over at his father, "I'm fine."

....

On his first day of fourth grade, his father said something strange. They were eating breakfast, and Luke was wearing the khaki pants that Tessa had gotten him for his birthday, and a button-down Alma. 

"What do you think of moving, Luke?" Scott asked. 

"Like countries?"

Scott laughed.

"Because I thought you liked Canada, Dad."

"No, buddy. Like what if we moved into a house. With a big backyard and all."

Luke paused, he had always wanted a dog. 

"Would I still go to school with Bryan and Mason?"

"Yeah, Lucas. We'd just be living in a house."

Luke paused again, "I think that might be fun. But why do we need the more space?"

Scott's face fell, "That's the other thing, buddy. In this new house, Tessa and Max would also be living with us."

"No."

"What?"

"Just Tessa."

Scott let out a stiff laugh, "Buddy that's not possible."

"Max is Lex Luthor."

"What?"

"I'm Superman. And Max has Kryptonite, just like Luthor. And that's how he keeps beating me."

Scott looked at his son, trying not to laugh, "Okay. We would move before the basketball season starts. Me and Tess found a really nice house just five minutes from here. You'd still go to St. James. But that also means something very important, Buddy."

"What?"

"Max would also go to St. James, Buddy."

"Ugh."

"And Luke, you'd also play on the same basketball team."

....

The first time they have a family dinner, Luke hardly spoke. 

Tessa looked at the three boys sitting around her and noticed the tension. 

"I heard that your hockey game went really well, Luke," she smiled in his direction.

He nodded, "Yeah, we won the championship."

"You must be really proud of yourself."

"Yeah, I guess."

"I heard that's where you met your best friends," she said. 

"Yeah. Bryan and Mason are from hockey."

"That's really fun, Luke. I can't wait to have them over at the new house."

There it was. The elephant in the room. The topic they were all avoiding. 

Tessa's eyes darted to Scott's for help.

"The new house is great, boys. You both get your own room," he said to both boys. 

"The backyard is really nice too. There's also a huge playroom for both of you to share. It's up to you two what you want to use it for."

Max looked over at Luke.

"That sounds fun, Luke," he said quietly. 

Luke was quiet.

"I heard you're really good at Math, Max," Scott said breaking the silence. 

Luke scoffed. 

Scott looked over at his son, "Luke?"

"Just like you," he said.

"Luke?" Tessa asked. 

"May I be excused?" he said pushing his chair back and standing. He walked away before he even heard their response. 

He soon realized that this was Tessa's house, and he had never been inside before and had no idea where he was going.

He walked into a random room and quickly figured out that it had to be Max's. 

He sat in the middle of the floor. 

Why, he thought, did he Dad want to replace him with Max?

After a few moments, Luke heard a knock on the door. 

"Luke?" it was Tessa, "Can I come in?"

Luke nodded.

"Oh, little one, tell me what's wrong?"

Luke shrugged.

She sat down on the floor facing him. 

"Well, I'll just wait here until you tell me."

They sat there in silence before Luke couldn't take it anymore.

"My Dad obviously likes Max more than me."

"Oh, Luke, no."

"Yes! They're both good at Math! And he ruffles his hair!"

Tessa pulled Luke in for a hug. 

"Luke, no, little one, no."

Luke let out a breath.

"Max never met his father," she whispered, "Your father is the closest thing that he's ever had to a Dad."

Luke looked up at Tessa, "And I don't remember my mom."

"Yeah, little one, I know."

Luke pressed more into her. As hard as he tried, Luke could never remember his mom. Her name was Cassandra, and Luke blamed himself for her leaving. Maybe if he had been different, she would have stayed. Maybe if he hadn't been born, his parents would still be together. It was a huge burden on the nine-year-old. It was a burden that he didn't understand that Max also shared. 

"But Luke, I hope I can be a mom to you," Tessa said calmly. 

"Really?"

"Yes, and I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

And she never did. 

....

"Okay class, we have a new classmate joining us today, Max Virtue," the teacher, Mrs. Oliver said to her fourth-grade class. 

It was the first day back after winter break, and Max had just transferred to St. James' from a school on the other side of London. Luke and Max were officially in the same school. 

"Luke, since you two are siblings, you'll be assigned to tour Max around for the first week," Mrs. Oliver smiled. 

Luke tried to hide his eye-roll.

Great, he thought, exactly what he wanted. 

"Lucas Moir! You never said you had a brother!" Lucy Williams whispered loudly. 

"We're not siblings," he mumbled. 

Max didn't hear him, and a sat next to him. 

"Max," said Mrs. Oliver, "why do you tell us a little bit about yourself."

"Um... well... I'm originally from Montreal. I lived there with my mom until last year. My family's from London, and this is where my mom grew up, so she wanted to move back. I went to Peter's Elementary for all of third-grade, and now I'm here."

"That's great," said Mrs. Oliver.

"How do you know Luke?" asked Johnathon Taylor.

"Um... well..." Max looked over to Luke for help, "they...they-"

"Our parents met last year, they're together now. They're happy," said Luke, looking directly at Johnathon. Kids knew not to question Luke Moir, so no one asked any more questions after that about their family. 

Mrs. Oliver clapped her hands together, "That's wonderful, boys. Now Max, what do you want to be when you grow up?" 

"I don't really know. Maybe a writer? My dad is a writer. I've never met him, but I've read some of his stuff, and he's good. I like writing. I also like dance, so maybe I'll go into dance."

"Do you like dancing too, Luke?" asked Elizabeth Roy. 

"No, that's all Max," he said. 

"Are you excited to play for our basketball team?" asked Elijah Brown, who also played on Luke's team. 

"Yeah, I played for the other London team. I'm happy to be playing with Luke instead of against," Max looked over at Luke again. 

Luke wanted to punch Elijah for bringing the team up.

"Yeah, we'll have a big win this season!" Said Jocie Tremblay. 

Max smiled at the girl. Luke looked down at his desk. 

The school bell rang, signaling lunch break. 

"Okay kids, have fun at lunch," said Mrs. Oliver to her students that were all standing up. 

"Oh and Luke, you're in charge of touring your brother around," said Mrs. Oliver as Luke was walking out of the classroom. 

"Okay, Mrs. Oliver," he said, trying his best to hide the fact that there were a billion places he'd rather be, and that Mrs. Oliver really needed to stop calling Max his brother, "of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Up next is the first couple weeks at St. James for the boys, and some drama may ensue! Also, it is told from the POV of the biggest smol bean on the planet, Max Virtue.   
> ;) Lori


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hear a little from Maximus James Virtue :)

Max Virtue was never told he needed to be the best, it was just expected. 

From a very, very young age, Max understood that the world thought he wasn't good enough. His mom was a single mother. He had never met his father. People held their heads in sadness whenever they were told his story. But he was determined to prove them all wrong. All of the people that thought he wouldn't be fine. He got the best grades in his classes, he was captain of all the sports teams he was in, always got the solos in band class, always the male lead in ballet class, and never lost at a game. 

Tessa, his mother, had never put the pressure on him. She only cared about his happiness. But Max knew, he knew that certain smile she had when he succeeded in something. He wanted to make her proud, always make her proud. 

The Moir's made her laugh. It was a laugh that he had hardly ever heard. He had heard it a couple times when she was with his Aunt Jordan during Christmas dinner. He had heard it when his Uncles, Casey and Kevin, did something particularly stupid on Canada Day. But Luke and Scott could make his mother full on 'belly laugh'. It was a loud giggly laugh and it always put a smile on his face. 

They were sitting in the middle of the Moir's living room the first time Max heard it. Scott, who he had grown very fond of, was telling a story of when Luke was little. Luke was rolling his eyes, begging his father to stop being "so embarrassing". Scott smirked in Tessa direction, and faster than Max could say "Moir", Scott grabbed Luke, and lifted him above his head, continuing with his childhood story of Luke. His mother had let out a gasp and then broke out in a fit of laughter. That night was also the first time Max had seen Luke laugh. He looked over in Scott's direction, whose eyes were sparkling back in his direction. 

Max looked at the three of them, their dark hair now extremely obvious to him. He looked so much like his father, he often wondered if it made his mom upset. His blonde curls looked nothing like his mother's dark brown waves. Of course, she dyed it, but still. His eyes were her's, a nice shade of green, but other than that he looked just like his father. He was tall and had his blonde curls. Tessa looked much more like Luke then he did, but it didn't anger him. 

It was the first time Max realized that he couldn't stand in the middle of his mother's happiness. She had given up the world for him, and he would never stop her from laughing. Even if Luke would never be the brother he wanted, even if he never thought of Scott as a father. The Moir's made her happy, and that made him happy.

But God, he wished that Luke Moir liked him. 

....

Max gathered his folders and put them in a nice and neat pile. His first day at St. James' could not be any more awkward. Luke was the school's "it-boy", and his teachers kept asking him weirdly personal questions about his mother and Scott's life. The principal had asked him if they had gotten his "house-warming present". 

Max, of course, had been on his best behavior. He smiled and nodded the whole time, thanking everyone that asked him extremely invasion questioned, and told them to have a great day. 

Luke had avoided him all morning, and he practically had a staring contest with him in their mid-day class. It was not going well. 

"Okay kids, have fun at lunch," said Mrs. Oliver to her students that were all standing up.

Max picked up all of his materials and walked to the front of the room. He watched look laugh with friends, that Luke hadn't bothered to introduce him to, when he saw Mrs. Oliver get Luke's attention.  
"Oh and Luke, you're in charge of touring your brother around," said Mrs. Oliver as Max walked up the two. 

Max watched Luke's face fall. God, he thought, Luke must be terrible at poker. 

"Of course," Luke had said as nicely as possible. 

Max followed Luke out of the room and into the hallway. 

Once the two were out of hearing range of Mrs. Oliver, Luke turned around and said, "Look, I'm sorry I know I've been mean to you today."

Max stopped in the middle of the hallway, mouth open. It was the nicest thing Luke had ever said to him. 

"Uh... um... yeah... 'so okay, I guess?" he responded. 

"So we're cool? I promised my Dad I'd look after you, and I don't want to make him mad."

There it was, the real reason Luke had apologized. 

"Yeah, no totally. I know my mom wants me on my best behavior too. Sorry I've been weird."

Luke chuckled, "It's cool."

The boys stood there in the middle of the hallway before Luke finally said, "Are you going to put your stuff away so we can go to lunch or..."

"Oh yeah! Sorry," Max said rushing off to his locker. 

Hannah Lewis, at least that's what Max thought was her name, walked up to the pair. 

"Hi Max!" she said, giving him a tight hug, "I'm so glad you're here."

"Um... hi Hannah. Nice to see you again."

Hannah smiled and then skipped off. 

Max turned back to Luke in confusion, "I thought you two were dating?"

Luke shook his head, "She's with Johnathon now."

"Oh."

Luke smiled, "Lighten up. It was mutual."

The two boys walked down the hallway, Max still obviously the taller one. 

"This is the fifth-grade hallway, this will be ours next year," Luke said, looking around at the lockers. 

Max nodded. 

They walked into the cafeteria, it was crawling with kids of all grade levels. 

"The school is small enough that everyone eats lunch at the same time, we just divide it up into two sections. You're in section one, so you eat lunch first. Then we go outside so another section can eat."

"Okay, are you in section one?" he asked.

"Yeah. My Dad made sure I was with you most of the day, at least for the important stuff," Luke said, with a hint of annoyance. 

Max nodded again. 

He followed Luke into the lunch area, where he heard a chorus of voices yell, "Luke!" or "Lucas!". Luke smiled and joined them. 

"Hey, guys!" Luke smiled, "This is Max."

There was another chorus of "Hey" and "Hi Max"s.

"Mrs. Oliver said you two are siblings?" asked Elizabeth. 

"You don't look like siblings!" giggled Thomas. 

Max cut in this time, trying to regain his street-cred after he let Luke explain their situation the last time. 

"Our parents are dating. They met last year. We all live together now, that's why I'm here now," Max answered. 

Luke looked shocked by his forwardness, "Um... yeah. Yeah, they're together. But we're not brothers."

A brunette girl looked up from her lunch, she was obviously was listening to their conversation, "At least not yet," she said bluntly. 

Noah laughed, "Thanks for eavesdropping, Penny."

Penny, who was sitting on a different table, and very obviously not actually a part of the friend group, shrugged her shoulders, "Just basing it off of probability." 

Luke, whose ears had turned pink from embarrassment, spoke up, "And what the heck does that mean."

Penny turned her body fully in Luke's direction, "I mean, I know Max transferred here, which means your parents are serious enough to not only move into together but also move Max's whole life around."

Luke huffed and Max swallowed. There was a beat of silence. 

"Do you think I can come to the wedding?" asked Rachel. 

Max laughed, and then Penny began to laugh. 

Luke grabbed his lunch bag and began to eat, "Whatever," he mumbled.

Max was still laughing, and he looked over at Luke. 

"That was funny!" he laughed out.

Penny smiled over at him, she could see them becoming great friends. 

....

The two boys stepped off of the bus, and Luke jumped into the snow. 

Tessa was waiting for the two of them, she laughed at Luke's antics.

"How was your day, boys?"

"Good," Luke looked up and said, and then walked right past her to their new house.

Max walked up to his mom and hugged her. 

"What's wrong, Max? Did it go okay, Nugget?"

Max nodded, "Yes. I want to stay."

Tessa beamed, "Did you make any friends?"

Max nodded.

"That's wonderful," she clapped her hands, "Now let's get you out of this cold, and you can tell me all about it."

....

The Virtues and Moirs sat down at their dinner table. Their new house was a perfect size. Both Scott and Tessa were relatively successful, and their house reflected that. 

It was the house that Tessa had always dreamed about. It was the family Scott had always wished for. 

"So how did the first day back go?" Scott asked, taking a bit of the chicken he made, Tessa could not cook to save her life. 

"It went well," Max said, "Like really really well."

Tessa smiled and reached over to touch her son's arm.

"I'm so happy," her eyes were glistening.

Scott kissed the side of her head.

"Penny was annoying again," Luke said.

Max laughed, remembering the interaction.

"What happened, Buddy?" Scott asked. 

"She said you two were going to get married, and Luke freaked out," Max laughed out.

Scott and Tessa exchanged nervous glances.

Luke watched their body language. 

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," he rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. 

"What's going on?" Max asked, clearly not following. 

"They're getting married," Luke said. 

Max's eyes grew wide, "Oh my God," and then he burst out laughing.

Luke rolled his eyes again.

"'We're not brothers,'" Max laughed out an imitation of Luke from school. 

Tessa began to laugh, and then Scott quickly followed. 

"Oh shut up," Luke grumbled.

"'Not Brothers,'" Max laughed out again, and that time Luke cracked a smile.

Soon the whole table was filled with laughter. 

....

"Hey, Max, School did go well, right? You'd tell me if it didn't?" Tessa asked, tucking him in bed in his room next to Luke's. 

"Yeah, mom, it was good. Obviously, it was a little weird, and I miss Peter's, and I miss Montreal, but it was good."

"Okay, kid, I'm so happy."

Max scanned his eyes over his mother, there was something different, she was keeping something a secret. 

"What aren't you telling me? I mean, what's happening other than the wedding?"

Tessa looked down at her son, always so shocked by how smart he was. 

"Oh, Max," she smiled.

"What is it?"

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is Tessa hiding...?  
> Also, this chapter is short and I'm sorry!   
> But get ready for the wedding bells!!!  
> ;) Lori

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is my first time writing a Virtuemoir fanfic, and the first time writing a fanfic about real people. I will try to update as soon as possible, I'm very excited for you all to see what I have in store for this story.  
> The next chapter will be told from Tessa's POV.


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